Jason Donovan: my family values

'Dad's only shortcoming as a parent was his cooking,' says Jason Donovan. Photograph: Sarah Lee

My parents split up when I was five and Dad was one of the first men in Australia to get custody of his child. Why did I end up with him? Who knows? You could ask my parents and they'd probably give you different answers.

It would be naive to say the divorce didn't affect me and for a while I was very clingy, but I grew out of it and I had a very happy childhood. Dad's only shortcoming as a parent was his cooking. It was really terrible.

Dad was a pom, born and brought up in Middlesex. He followed his brother out to Australia in the 60s and their mother came shortly after. She never forgot her Anglo-Irish roots and often talked about how her family had been the last licensed cow-herders of Kensington.

When I was very young, Dad, who is an actor, used to be in a popular Australian police show, so I was aware from a very early age that being famous has its own kind of currency.

Sometimes Dad was in such a rush to pick me up from school that he'd still be wearing his TV make-up and police costume, complete with a gun in a holster. I spent a lot of time hanging around television sets waiting for him to finish work and became besotted with the entertainment business, so when the TV company was looking for a boy to be in one of their shows, I put my hand up. Dad never tried to dissuade me but he was adamant I had to get myself to auditions. He wasn't going to chauffeur me around.

I was 11 when dad married Marlene. I wasn't very keen on her at first, but only because I wanted Dad all to myself. We went on holiday to Hawaii and I was a complete pain in the arse. I refused to be in the photographs and insisted on sleeping in the same room as them. But I didn't take long to come round and Marlene and I have been great mates ever since.

My brother Paul was born when I was 14. I think Dad and Marlene were a bit worried about how I'd react to having a baby around, but I loved having a brother; for the first time I felt I was part of a normal, functioning family.

I didn't feel ready to be a parent. I was still taking drugs and didn't particularly want to stop. However, I was determined to face up to my responsibilities and the moment I saw my daughter Jemma, I fell in love with her. Our son, Zac, was born a year later.

I used to think that becoming a father would spoil everything. I thought it would ruin my social life and tie me down financially, but my life is richer than I had ever thought possible. Having children gave me the incentive to give up drugs and every aspect of my life has improved as a result.

Jason Donovan is currently appearing in Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical at the Palace Theatre, London W1, 0844 755 0016, priscillathemusical.com